Removing Smoke Odor from Carpets and Floors

Removing Smoke Odor from Carpets and Floors

When it comes to smoke odor, the number one offender of residual smells will always point to the carpeting. Smoke odor typically caused by cigarette and cigar smoke, burn foods or a house fire is tough to remove from a home, but there is home. Here are a few of our favorite tips to remove smoke odors from carpets and other flooring.

Removing Smoke Odor from Cigarettes

You’ll need baking soda and a good vacuum. We always suggest bagged vacuums over bagless because the suction from bagged vacuums tends to stay consistent throughout the life of the vacuum much longer than alternative models.

Lightly sprinkle carpet with baking soda and let sit for five hours. If you can afford the time, let the baking soda sit overnight where it can really soak up odors and be left undisturbed. After the appropriate amount of time has passed, use your vacuum to suck up the baking soda and hopefully the odors from your flooring.

Add in a fresh scent like dried lavender. Take a cup of dried lavender and mix it in with the baking soda and allow to sit overnight. Vacuum as usual and enjoy not only the lack of smoke odors, but the fresh smelling lavender!

Removing Smoke Odor from Burnt Food

Use the above technique to get food odors from your carpets. In addition, set out large bowls (roughly 3) consisting of distilled white vinegar around the room. Let the bowls sit for five days, but make sure the bowl are kept out of reach from curious animal and children. Initially you’ll be greeted with an overwhelming vinegar smell, but note – this smell will fade over time taking the food odors with it.

Removing Smoke Odor caused by Fire

Not everything is meant to be “DIY” and smoke caused by house fires is best left to a professional. Restoration companies specializing in fire restoration have the tools necessary to remove the large smoke molecules from a home. Smoke odor from fires is the absolute hardest odor to remove from a home, and without the right tools, nearly impossible.

Regardless of which method you choose to remove bad smells from a home or office, ventilation is key not only to remove the smells but for safety as well. Open windows and doors, turn on air circulators like fans (when it comes to house fires, ask a professional first – migrating smoke molecules through ventilation can do more harm than good) and make sure that no one room smells too strongly of cleaning products.

Other surfaces of your home can trap bad smells as well, so while the carpets sit soaking up the baking soda, give hard surfaces a rubdown using a vinegar solution. Wash fabrics like pillows, nearby clothing, and bed spreads. Replace light bulbs and wipe down pendant lighting which can trap odors and stains. Change your air filters in the HVAC systems. These air filters are meant to clean the air and thus eliminate smells and odors.